saturday ... at the mall ... I think it was the 10th of December

Jingle George made his appearance as a celebrity bell ringer for the Salvation Army today. I put in an hour and a half of smiling, Santa-hatted ring-a-dingeying outside of the food court/movie theater side of one of Guam's major malls.

Foot traffic was somewhat slow — I think the other sale had a super major sale — but we did seem to get a nice amount from the individuals who did show up, and I'm sure it improved later for the few more hours of celebrity ringing after I left.

Sorry to say that I forgot my digital camera at home, so I have no pictures, but I'm hoping to get some from the Salvation Army people, who were snapping a lot of pics. Keep yer fingers crossed.

Three hours till I gotta leave for the Christmas party. Tux has been picked up. Shirt has been ironed. Tie is prepped. Shoes are shined. Peppery peppy patter is prepped. Games are all sorted and prizes are arranged.

Just have to show up, check in with the band about timing of breaks, talk to party planners to cement things and get the stuff I'm supposed to give away with the games and raffle prizes, and then turn on the good old super-funny, entertaining ham side of me (which is a HUGE side of a HUGE me).

We have a baby grand prize drawing of $250 and a grand prize drawing of $500. We are giving away lunch for two at a nice hotel restaurant, as well as dinner for two. We are giving away a night's stay at that hotel as well. Prizes for game include lunch for two, movie passes and cash.

There will be , a nice dinner buffet, a band from 7 p.m. till midnight and dancing for most of the night — Guam's "national" dance, by the way, is the cha-cha. We cha-cha like no one else cha-chas. About every club plays it. Any fiesta with a DJ and/or a band features spurts of cha-cha. If there's no one on the dance floor, a little "Under the Boardwalk," or "Don't Blame It on the Cha-cha-cha" draws the folks out, guaranteed.

You guys know I don't dance, at least not anymore, but here's my ever-abiding shame: I don't know how to cha-cha. You heard me: I'm half Chamorro and I can't 1-2-cha-cha-cha.

But shhhhh. Don't tell anyone.

Especially YOU, Oh So Wonderful. You know what that would do to my reputation on this island. ;)